Ross Taylor finished day two of the third Test on 56 not out. Photograph: Andrew Cornaga/ActionPlus/Corbis

Half-centuries from Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson left the third Test against West Indies finely poised as New Zealand reached stumps on 156 for three on day two in Hamilton.

The Black Caps began their response to the West Indies' 367 immediately after lunch, and found it tough going as they lost openers Hamish Rutherford and Peter Fulton early in the afternoon, before Williamson and Taylor launched a rescue mission after tea, finishing the day 211 runs behind.

West Indies must win the match to square the three-Test series, but lost their final four wickets in 26.2 overs before lunch. Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who partnered Denesh Ramdin in a much-needed 200-run stand on the opening day, combined effectively with the tail to finish with 122 not out, having put on 60 for the final two wickets with Veerasammy Permaul and Tino Best.

New Zealand's innings got off to a bad start as Rutherford was dismissed when his attempted straight drive off Darren Sammy went straight back to the bowler to leave the hosts 18 for one.

Fulton played conservatively, scoring 11 off 71 balls before he was excellently caught by Sammy at leg slip off the bowling of Sunil Narine.

Williamson brought up his 50, and hit just his fifth boundary shortly after, but his stodgy innings was ended when he was trapped lbw by Narine.

Taylor had reached his half-century by then too, and he joined with the captain Brendon McCullum to close out the rest of the day.